The current thesis takes a step forward into understanding the intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) by applying a relatively new micro-mechanical technique to look at the crack growth rate of individual grain boundaries in 304 stainless steel (SS) and to measure fracture toughness for different grain boundaries in Ni Alloy 600. In addition, a model is tested and proposed that could predict crack initiation in 304 SS. Pentagonal cross-section cantilevers 5 μm wide by 25 μm long were milled at individual grain boundaries in both 304 SS and Ni Alloy 600. The cantilevers milled in 304 SS were tested in-situ in a customised stage, using the nanoindenter. Crack growth rate was measured for two different cantilevers to be approximately 40 μm/s (K = 1.1 MPa(m)^(1/2)) and 120 μm/s (K = 1.7 MPa(m)^(1/2)). Cantilevers were milled in Ni Alloy 600 for three different samples: samples that were exposed to simulated pressurized water reactors (PWR) environment for 4500 h, for 1500 h and un-oxidised samples. The fracture toughness calculated for the fractured cantilevers in samples that were exposed for 4500 h was measured to be between 0.73 and 1.82 MPa(m)^(1/2). No intergranular fracture occurred in the samples that were exposed for 1500 h and in the un-oxidised samples. The grain boundary misorientation was measured for the tested cantilevers but no direct correlation was observed between the misorientation angle and the fracture toughness. A Schmid-modified grain boundary stress (SMGBS) model previously used to study the intergranular behaviour of irradiated 316L steel in supercritical water was applied to predict crack initiation in 304 stainless steel. The model was successfully applied and accurately predicted crack initiation. To extend the model, sensitisation was also included. In addition, different areas of the specimen, including the initiation site were analysed using High resolution electron backscatter diffraction (HR-EBSD) technique to measure the geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs) density. It was observed that the boundary average GNDs is lower for the intact boundaries and higher for the cracked grain boundaries.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:604477 |
| Date | January 2014 |
| Creators | Stratulat, Alisa |
| Contributors | Roberts, Steve; Marrow, James |
| Publisher | University of Oxford |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:3c150765-b2b1-4f54-95aa-36d294a99acc |
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